He loves wine; she loves fashion.

Better late than never.

Because that dashingly handsome, vivacious jet setter is currently off the coast of Norway seeing the world, the whole shebang slipped my mind until today.

Mr. Serious enjoys some grog with his bubbles.

So Dad. I’ll use my public domain to thank you for:

teaching me couth. teaching me to shuck oysters. giving me someone to look up to… always. being a leader. loving kitties. throwing me off the dock even when I really didn’t want it. telling me red lipstick was not my color. being the guy whose opinion everyone values. taking me to NFL games, college basketball games, golf tournaments, your office, every seafood joint along A1A, the BBQ LTD for lunch after Kindergarten, church, school, work, the doctor, the dentist, the car repair shop, the airport (far too many times), the beach, on long runs, on long bikerides, and every bum bar from Key Largo to Key West. for Steppenwolf, The Doobie Brothers, Joe Cocker, the Moody Blues, The Stones, Humble Pie, Joni Mitchell, The Faces, and Derek and the Dominos. for showing me nothing’s more important than family, being a hard worker, not taking yourself too seriously, and doing the right thing. for being fun. for being spontaneous. for sharing what you love. for teaching me to be a stand-up gal.

and for being my dad, who—at any given minute, in any given situation—I’d drop exactly what I was doing just to be on the phone with you, on the beach with you, on the boat with you… just anywhere with you.

Judging by the tears in my eyes, this blog may be live from Florida sooner than we’d thunk…

[So says the Fin & Tonic!]

Oh, and also? Thanks for snagging, marrying, and having me and my brother with this impossibly good-looking babe: